Sam Newsome

Wednesday, July 23, 2014

In the Peter L. Bull documentary Lift the Bandstand, soprano saxophonist Steve Lacy said that in 1960, that he and John Coltrane were the only modern jazz soprano saxophonists. Today, Mr. Lacy would be very happy to know that this is no longer the case. Since that time, the soprano has found it's way into the hands of many. And I think Wayne Shorter summed it up best when he said that "Anyone who plays soprano orientates himself on Steve Lacy." And of course, there was a lot done with the soprano that I'm sure Lacy would not want to take credit for--or at least he would not want to have it blamed on him. But all in all, it has been a positive journey for this enigmatic instrument that Lacy affectionately calls "the difficult child" of the saxophone family. Now the focus of this article was to highlight saxophonists who identify themselves as soprano specialists. I say this because many saxophonists who are actually great soprano players have been left off this list: Branford Marsalis, Wayne Shorter, Roscoe Mitchell, John Butcher, Evan Parker, just to name of few. But I felt in order to truly commemorate Lacy's legacy, it would be most fitting to highlight soprano specialists, being that we are the ones who are doing as he did, which is to forge a path in jazz that's solely centered around the soprano and all of its many sonic possibilities.

I'm sure if you were to compare my list with that of the 62 Annual Downbeat Critics Poll (the Soprano Saxophone and the Soprano Saxophone Rising Star categories) there would be little overlap--which is an article all to itself. In addition to aforementioned reason, I'm keeping the scope of this list very narrow because (1) to name all of the saxophonists who double and dabble on the soprano would be too exhaustive, and (2) players who specialize on the soprano are often overlooked by the popular jazz press, such as Downbeat, Jazz Times, Jazz Improv, etc. So this is an opportunity bring some attention to players whom jazz audiences should know, but don't, simply because of the instrument that they play as well as having a musical aesthetic that is not in alliance with popular trends in contemporary jazz. And as an aside, many of soprano players listed actually had the opportunity to study with and play alongside Lacy. One cannot help but to envy that. The players are not listed in any order of importance. It's simply what felt right at that moment. And if I left anyone off this list, it was not intentional. It's only because I was not aware of what you do. So please reach out to me, I'd love to hear from you. David Liebman (Stroudsburg, PA)

The SN Trio live at Corlears Hook Park - Arts for Art Series (2017)

Live at the 2017 Sopot Jazz Festival

Meet Sam Newsome

Welcome to my blogsite and musical home! My name is Sam Newsome and I am a New York-based soprano saxophonist. As far as what I do: I divide my time between being the coordinator of the music program at LIU Brooklyn, an experimenter of new sounds on the soprano saxophone, and a performer and educator of jazz around the world. My area of focus over the past 10 years or so has been solo saxophone—an artistic pursuit that has brought me many rewards and riches, and has led to numerous fruitful collaborations. My blogsite (both blog and website) is unique in that it (1) contains articles about various topics related to jazz and the soprano saxophone, and (2) functions as my main website, providing information about upcoming performances, CD releases, reviews, and accolades. And by clicking the PRESS KIT link below, you can have access to press photos and a detailed bio. In this day and age, I figured there’s no need having both a blog and a website. I found it increasingly difficult trying to maintain both. It made sense to just combine them. So welcome to Soprano Sax Talk, and I look forward to sharing ideas and music with you over the next several years.
Sincerely,
Sam Newsome

"As solo sax recordings go, I remain a big fan of the Anthony Braxton / John Butcher styles and approaches. However, in view of Sopranoville, I’ll be adding Newsome to the list of individuals whose future output is of interest." - Avant Music News

"...extended technique but taken to the next power." - Ken Ackermann, All About Jazz

"A nice look at the outer edges from a cat with the chops to pull it off." - MIdwest Records

"On his latest album Newsome has pushed the limits on his saxophone exploring experimental and avant-garde sounds." - Jon Neudorf, Sea of Tranquility

Reviews of Sopranoville: New Works for Prepared and Non-Prepared Saxophone